Intraocular implant and an artificial lens device

Abstract

An accommodating intraocular implant for locating in the capsular bag, the implant comprising a single piece of elastically deformable material constituting a central lens ( 1 ) and at least two haptic portions ( 2, 4 ) in the form of radial arms for bearing via their free ends against the equatorial zone of the capsular bag, the free end of each radial arm ( 2, 4 ) being fitted with a shoe ( 6, 7 ) of substantially toroidal outside surface enabling the implant to bear against the equatorial zone of the bag, the connection between each shoe ( 6, 7 ) and the corresponding arm ( 2, 4 ) being of the hinge type situated in the vicinity of the posterior edge of the shoe ( 6, 7 ) and being formed by a first thin portion ( 2 d , 4 d ) of the arm, while the connection between each arm and the lens is of the hinge type implemented at the anterior surface of the lens by a second likewise thin portion ( 2 c , 4 c ) of the arm, the plane (P 1 ) containing the first thin portions being situated behind the plane (P 2 ) containing the second thin portions.

What is claimed is:  
     
       1. An accommodating intraocular implant adapted to be located in a capsular bag, the implant comprising a single piece of elastically deformable material constituting a central lens ( 1 ) and at least two haptic portions ( 2 ,  4 ) in the form of radial arms for bearing via free ends of the radial arms against an equatorial zone of the capsular bag, wherein the free end of each radial arm ( 2 ,  4 ) is fitted with a shoe ( 6 ,  7 ) of substantially toroidal outside surface enabling the implant to bear against the equatorial zone of the bag, the connection between each shoe ( 6 ,  7 ) and the corresponding arm ( 2 ,  4 ) being of a hinge type situated in the vicinity of a posterior edge of the shoe ( 6 ,  7 ) and being formed by a first thin portion ( 2   d,    4   d ) of the arm, while the connection between each said arm and the lens is of the hinge type implemented at an anterior surface of the lens by a second likewise thin portion ( 2   c,    4   c ) of the arm, a plane (P 1 ) containing the first thin portions being situated behind a plane (P 2 ) containing the second thin portions, and including at least two rigid radial extensions ( 10 ,  12 ) extending from the lens ( 1 ) and interposed between pairs of the haptic arms, each extension being of radial length shorter than that of the arms and serving to enable the implant to come into abutment against edges of the opening in the capsular bag. 
     
     
       2. An implant according to  claim 1 , wherein between said hinge-forming thin portions, each arm ( 2 ,  4 ) has a posterior bulge ( 2   b,    4   b ). 
     
     
       3. An implant according to  claim 1 , wherein each arm ( 13 ,  14 ) is in the form of an arch having feet ( 13   a,    13   b,    14   a,    14   b ) connected to the lens ( 1 ) via thin zones oriented along a line ( 19 ,  20 ) perpendicular to a middle radius of the arm. 
     
     
       4. An implant according to  claim 3 , wherein each radial extension forms a common zone ( 15 ,  16 ,  17 ,  18 ) for connecting pairs of adjacent said feet of the two arch-shaped arms to the lens. 
     
     
       5. An implant according to  claim 4 , comprising three arms ( 21 ,  22 ,  23 ) in the form of arches regularly disposed around the lens ( 1 ). 
     
     
       6. An implant according to  claim 1 , wherein the abutment-extensions are situated away from bisectors of the angles between two consecutive said radial arms. 
     
     
       7. An implant according to  claim 1 , wherein the angular extent of contact between all of the shoes and the equatorial portion of the bag is not less than 120°. 
     
     
       8. An accommodating artificial lens device comprising an accommodating intraocular implant ( 100 ) comprising a single piece of elastically deformable material constituting a central lens ( 1 ) and at least two haptic portions ( 2 ,  4 ) in the form of radial arms, wherein a free end of each radial arm ( 2 ,  4 ) is fitted with a shoe ( 6 ,  7 ) of substantially toroidal outside surface, the connection between each shoe ( 6 ,  7 ) and the corresponding arm ( 2 ,  4 ) being of a hinge type situated in the vicinity of a posterior edge of the shoe ( 6 ,  7 ) and being formed by a first thin portion ( 2   d,    4   d ) of the arm, while the connection between each said arm and the lens is of the hinge type implemented at an anterior surface of the lens by a second likewise thin portion ( 2   c,    4   c ) of the arm, a plane (P 1 ) containing the first thin portions being situated behind a plane (P 2 ) containing the second thin portions, the accommodating artificial lens device further comprising an elastically deformable element ( 120 ,  130 ) separate from the implant, the element having at least a radially-deformable gutter-shaped peripheral portion whose diameter at a bottom of the gutter in a rest state is no greater than an outside diameter of the implant measured across outside faces of the shoe ( 110 ) when the implant is in the rest state, wherein the elastically deformable element ( 130 ) is restricted to a gutter-shaped ring having a posterior lip ( 133   b ) which undulates in festoons. 
     
     
       9. An accommodating artificial lens device comprising an accommodating intraocular implant ( 100 ) comprising a single piece of elastically deformable material constituting a central lens ( 1 ) and at least two haptic portions ( 2 ,  4 ) in the form of radial arms, wherein a free end of each radial arm ( 2 ,  4 ) is fitted with a shoe ( 6 ,  7 ) of substantially toroidal outside surface, the connection between each shoe ( 6 ,  7 ) and the corresponding arm ( 2 ,  4 ) being of a hinge type situated in the vicinity of a posterior edge of the shoe ( 6 ,  7 ) and being formed by a first thin portion ( 2   d,    4   d ) of the arm, while the connection between each said arm and the lens is of the hinge type implemented at an anterior surface of the lens by a second likewise thin portion ( 2   c,    4   c ) of the arm, a plane (P 1 ) containing the first thin portions being situated behind a plane (P 2 ) containing the second thin portions, and including at least two rigid radial extensions ( 10 ,  12 ) extending from the lens ( 1 ) and interposed between pairs of the haptic arms, each extension being of radial length shorter than that of the arms, 
       the accommodating artificial lens device further comprising an elastically deformable element ( 120 ,  130 ) separate from the implant, the element having at least a radially-deformable gutter-shaped peripheral portion whose diameter at a bottom of the gutter in a rest state is no greater than an outside diameter of the implant measured across outside faces of the shoe ( 110 ) when the implant is in the rest state.  
     
     
       10. A device according to  claim 9 , wherein the equatorial diameter of the separate element ( 120 ,  130 ) measured outside the gutter when in the rest state corresponds to the equatorial diameter that the capsular bag used to have when the patient for whom the device is intended was 20 to 30 years old. 
     
     
       11. A device according to  claim 9 , wherein the separate element ( 120 ) is in the form of a dome with a posterior web ( 125 ) having an edge in the form of a gutter. 
     
     
       12. A device according to  claim 9 , wherein the separate element ( 130 ) is restricted to a gutter-shaped ring having a posterior lip ( 133   b ) which undulates in festoons. 
     
     
       13. A device according to  claim 9 , wherein the gutter-shaped portion has a plurality of through slots ( 126 ,  136 ). 
     
     
       14. A device according to  claim 9 , wherein an anterior lip ( 122 ,  132 ) of the gutter-shaped portion has a radius smaller than the radial dimension of the rigid radial extensions of the implant. 
     
     
       15. A device according to  claim 9 , wherein the separate element ( 120 ,  130 ) has greater thickness ( 124 ,  134 ) at least in register with the end of each arm of the implant adjacent to its shoe, said extra thickness forming a posterior bearing abutment of the corresponding arm. 
     
     
       16. A device according to  claim 9 , including a third piece ( 150 ,  160 ) formed by a ring whose greatest diameter is no greater than the inside diameter of the gutter minus the thickness of the shoes of the arms of the implant as measured when the device is in its equilibrium state.